EE Switches On 300Mbps 4G Network In Tech City

EE has switched on the world’s first 300Mbps 4G network in Tech City as part of a wider partnership with the London’s technology hub, which will see the operator provide startups and small businesses with exclusive packages and expert mentoring.

The partnership, launched by Prime Minister David Cameron, will see EE prioritise Tech City for its network innovations and the company has promised to extend similar support to other tech clusters in the UK.

The operator claims it has spent £3.6 million on the rollout of LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) technology in the East London area and plans to extend coverage to other parts of the city – between the north and south circulars – next year.

400Mbps LTE

EE and the Prime Minster both claim the rollout and the partnership will allow innovative tech companies to grow and compete on the global stage.

“As part of our plan to help Britain succeed, we established Tech City UK to support the creation of a technology cluster in East London and committed to help these businesses to become cornerstones of our economy,” said Cameron. “But this is not just about London. We are determined to build a rebalanced economy across the country and get behind the entrepreneurs imagining a new tomorrow in the dozens of technology clusters, accelerators and start-up incubators across Britain.”

EE says one of its first customers is the Boxpark Shoreditch pop-up shopping mall, which will provide 300Mbps connections to retailers and customers from next year, offering “one of the most advanced shopping experiences in the world.”

EE 4G Tech City

Other businesses can expect to be connected in hours, not days, says EE, which will also plans to mentor small businesses to guide them through early stages of their development. EE also says it will open up 4G network APIs to developers to allow them to create new applications and services.

“By pioneering 4G innovation in the UK, we want to help British businesses switch on and start up. That’s why we’ve partnered with Tech City to deliver superfast services to some of the UK’s brightest new companies,” added EE CEO Olaf Swantee. “Today, we are officially switching on our 300Mbps 4G network here, and will be giving selected digital businesses exclusive access to this groundbreaking technology.

“The 300Mbps service will be commercially rolled out in 2014 and means British businesses here in Tech City – and across the UK – will be able to steal a march on their competitors in Silicon Valley, Korea and Japan.”

Earlier this week, EE said its 4G network would reach 160 towns and cities before Christmas and predicts record sales in the lead up to the holiday.

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